Conduit
by fortunesque
Summary: Sometimes, things don't go as planned. Shepard has to make the best of what she's given. *Sequel to Armor*


A/n: This is the sequel to 'Armor'. If you haven't read it, you may not get what's going on in this story. I took liberty with the canon.

* * *

Shepard was incredibly nauseous even before the Normandy had been locked down. She'd chalked it up to nerves, but she never got nerves. Now, however, they were royally screwed. The Council was being so foolish and Udina…

The Commander lost her thought as she dry heaved into the toilet in her quarters. She gingerly sat up and clutched her side. Shuffling over to the sink, she grabbed a bottle of mouthwash and methodically rinsed her mouth, trying her best to ignore the stinging sensation. Shepard wiped her mouth and entered her quarters. Glancing over at the door, she noticed that she had company.

It was sure to be Kaidan.

Shepard opened the door and found that she was right. Her Lieutenant stepped in, the door closing behind him in a gentle swoosh.

"Hey," she offered him a small smile, "sorry I look like crap."

"No you don't," Kaidan countered, slowly closing the distance between them, "you're always beautiful."

Shepard was grateful that he had gently grabbed her arms to caress them; in her dizziness, she fell into his embrace, her legs going weak. She felt herself being pulled downward to straddle his lap as he sat in a chair. Insistent lips suckled her jaw line and roving hands grasped her rear. Even in her weakened state, the Commander felt her body warm to his amorous advances.

"Bridge to Commander Shepard," Joker's voice cut through the moment.

"What is it, Joker?" Shepard asked, grateful for the interruption. The last thing she needed to be doing was dry heaving while having sex.

"I just received a message from Captain Anderson. He wants to meet you at Flux, the club down in the wards," Joker relayed the message then cut the communications.

Kaidan sighed and buried his face in between Shepard's breasts. Shaking his head, he ground himself against her. The Lieutenant smirked as she gasped.

"Now what's that all about?" she asked, blushing, "I have to go, Kaidan."

"Something to think about," he murmured, giving her bottom one last squeeze.

Shepard chuckled and stood up slowly. Thankfully, the sense of vertigo she had earlier disappeared. Perhaps it was nerves that made her so ill. After all, she'd just gotten the biggest screw over in galactic history. Still, the Commander knew that she never got ill from being upset.

"Didn't get your fill?" Shepard asked her Lieutenant while rearranging her hair in a mirror.

His eyes travelled her form. They hadn't spent time together since they landed on the Citadel, sexual or otherwise.

"I don't think I'll ever get my fill," Kaidan declared with a sigh, "I guess you'd better get going then."

Shepard nodded and leaned down, gently kissing him. Feeling him lean in to deepen the kiss, the Commander reluctantly withdrew and playfully slapped him on the arm.

"The fate of the galaxy is at stake," she chided, "and you want to have sex right now."

The Lieutenant shrugged in response. Of course he did. He had the love of the most beautiful woman in the galaxy. Her fingers brushed his arm as she walked out the door.

Hopefully, they'd both have some time together soon.

Shepard made her way to Flux as quickly as she could; even the rapid transport system seemed slow as the Commander impatiently waited for it to land at its destination. Shoving her way past a bothersome businessman, Shepard climbed the stairs to get to the club.

A wave of nausea hit her full force as she entered Flux. The scent of alcohol and sweat blasted her in the face and it took the Commander all her might to reach Anderson's table. Dizzy, Shepard flopped down into the chair across from the Captain.

"Are you ok, Commander?" Anderson asked, gently reaching across the table to grab her arm.

"Yeah," her voice was barely audible over the music, "I was sick earlier and I guess I'm just dehydrated." Shepard shook her head and dismissed the thought. She couldn't worry about being sick. "Do you have a plan?" the Commander leaned in, ready to do business.

"Yes. I have two options. I can either sneak into the Ambassador's office and override the lockdown order, or I can sneak into Citadel Security and do it there. Both have their risks," Anderson nodded, "but either way, you'll be off this station and headed to Ilos."

Shepard paused for a moment and weighed the possibilities. Citadel Security was sure to have armed guards. The Ambassador's office wouldn't. But if the Udina was in his office, then there would be a problem.

"I think you'll have more luck with the Ambassador's computer," Shepard reasoned, "but be careful. I've got a bad feeling about Ilos. If things don't work out there for some reason…"

She trailed off, unsure of how to finish her sentence.

Anderson nodded slowly. The Commander said something similar before she was sent to Torfan. Shepard was always intuitive.

"I'll be careful," he said, "Now, are you ready to get the hell off of this station?"

"Yes," Shepard nodded, "I'll get to the ship now."

The Commander stood and shook her mentor's hand. They exchanged a determined nod; they'd see each other again.

Still, Shepard couldn't shake the feeling that something would go horribly wrong.

* * *

Shepard sat at a console in her quarters, the lights off. So far, everything had gone off without a hitch with the exception of her nausea returning hours later. She heard the door to her quarters open and close. Light footsteps drew closer to her then stopped right behind the chair. Shepard leaned back as her Lieutenant embraced her from behind, leaning over to gently kiss her on the top of her head.

She wriggled out of his grasp, stood, and hugged him. Inhaling deeply, Shepard closed her eyes and felt at ease with the galaxy.

"Snuggle me," she murmured.

Kaidan grunted an affirmative and carried Shepard over to the bed. Setting her down, he untied her boots and removed them before working on his own pair.

"Oh wow," Shepard smiled, "we've just started out and you're already taking my boots off for me."

"Of course I am," he replied and grabbed her. Kaidan wrapped himself around Shepard, trying to get as close to her as possible.

Shepard cringed as another wave of nausea wracked her body. Her Lieutenant shot her a questioning look. His answer would have to wait; the Commander felt that she'd be ill if she opened her mouth. After sitting still for a moment, Shepard felt well enough to speak.

"I've not been feeling well lately," she murmured, "nausea. It's probably nerves."

Kaidan nodded and snuggled her closer, sighing internally when he realized that he would have to wait to have sex with her once again. But, as long as he could stay by her side, he could live with that.

A comfortable silence grew between them and eventually the low, resonating hum of the stealth systems lulled the couple to sleep. Shepard's subconscious knew what she did not; her hand drifted down to gently rest on her occupied womb. The hand of her sleeping lover drew close to her hand, intertwining their fingers. For hours, they lay next to each other, sleeping soundly as if the fate of the entire galaxy weren't at stake.

"Five minutes out from the Mu Relay," Joker announced to the crew, completely unaware that both Shepard and her Lieutenant jolted awake at his sudden intrusion.

Shepard glanced over at her terminal's clock and noticed that they had been out for over six hours. Feeling refreshed, she swung her legs over the bed and handed Kaidan's boots to him. Grabbing hers, she slipped her foot in and tugged, the polished leather grinding in protest.

"Get ready," Shepard nodded at Kaidan as she tied her boots, "we're going in."

"Aye aye, ma'am," he replied.

It was time to save the galaxy.

* * *

The glowing Conduit stood before the ground team, its inner rings flipping past each other. Geth surrounded the miniature relay and fired upon the approaching Mako.

"Hang on!" Kaidan shouted, "things are about to get a little rough." He tried his best to maneuver the rover down the winding stream that lead to the base of the Conduit

Shepard fired the main canon at the geth in an effort to take them all out before the shields were completely destroyed. Garrus monitored the rover's systems carefully and cringed with each blow the Mako took.

"Almost there," the Lieutenant stated, "brace for impact!"

The Mako charged directly at the mass relay and the crew all tensed and held their breath. All-terrain wheels sped across the tiled surface.

A resounding crack rang out through the clearing and the geth stopped firing.

Shepard stared up at the monolithic relay in front of her in disbelief. They were so close. Her shaking hands moved to the Mako's turret controls. The large gun swiveled around to face the geth and fired, the Commander cursing them with each shot. It didn't take long to dispatch of the weakened synthetics and soon the ground team found themselves once again enveloped the eerie silence that was Ilos. Shepard shook her head in disbelief.

They didn't make it through the Conduit.


End file.
